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Thread: The Key.

  1. #1
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    Default The Key.

    We have had our end of term party and our class has adjourned for the summer. On the bus home I saw a young woman wearing a small key as a pendant, which looked very pretty. It has been in my head for a while to make a more fancy one, maybe with a stone. Traditionally they were given for a twenty first birthday, as believe it or not, you did not get your key to the front door until then.
    This lead me on to thinking about which of my ideas have turned out to be successful and which have been ordinary and what is the key. Well you get a very good indication when you first see someone wear what you have made and then whether it draws any comments in Sainsburys. Or you can go by sales, but unless you are famous you will have to scale down your work to reduce costs. Look in a jeweller’s window to see what that can do.
    Here is one of my fist efforts, a simple piercing called the Dawg, which lots of friends wanted. I wear one as a brooch on my winter anorak . It is made from very thin 18 ct yellow, sweated onto silver, rolled down to twice the size and textured. The Dolly brooch, a more recent effort is taken from the detail of an old poster. The pattern on the dress is faux Keum Boo, made from very thin slices of 18ct yellow tubing, soldered with tiny crumbs of solder and rolled down with gauze. Dennis.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
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    Barnstaple, Devon, United Kingdom
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    Default

    Dennis, you continue to be an inspiration - I just love the dolly brooch.
    Di x

  3. #3
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    Jul 2009
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    Default

    Both of those are stunning I adore the Dolly Brooch
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  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
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    Rushden, Northamptonshire
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    I think Dawg is awesome!
    Anne

    Feel the fear, and do it anyway!
    Blog: http://www.whiteoakjewellery.blogspot.com/
    Website: http://www.whiteoakjewellery.co.uk

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
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    Staffordshire
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    Default

    Hi Dennis,

    You've set me thinking too!!
    Well so far I think I can only judge by comments, since apart from the few sales to cover costs to friends and family, "sales" is not really a possible avenue. Some comments are from friends of friends, friends of my children, other members of my class/ tutor or even better, unknown people (e.g supermarket, in town, as another passer-by at a craft fair) and even 2 jewellers!! I guess it's some statement or intricate pieces. I love piercing!! Others are more fashionable / trendy pieces, adorned with a bit of glitz (but actually less satisfying in the making generally).

    One jeweller who looked (with a requested critical eye) at my work, identified a number of pieces he thought were technically well made and marketable (he even said he would be quite happy to have some of them in his shop when i'm ready :-)). He also identified some less well made pieces and he said that it looked like I had loved making some of the work and definately not 1 or 2 pieces. He was absolutely right!! I would like to think,some time on, that technically I can now [I]hide[I] my lack of enjoyment or frustration technically in a much better finish.

    Will be interesting to keep an eye on this question.
    Tabby

  6. #6
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    Jun 2010
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    The Derbyshire Peak District
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    The dawg is brilliant!
    Dragonfly (Lynne)

    http://www.thedragonflycompany.com

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  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Co Armagh N.Ireland
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    Default

    Dennis, I love your posts. You are an inspiration.
    Being a beginner I am concentrating on mastering basic techniques - piercing being one I need practice with.
    The ideas in the head are well in advance of the capability of the hands unfortunately !

    Mia

  8. #8
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    'The ideas in the head are well in advance of the capability of the hands unfortunately !'

    Dear Mia,
    Write them all down and do some sketches, because as you get bolder you will be grateful for your 'to do' list. How to do it will happen one day, like a light bulb going on. Also I have noticed that on short courses people waste their precious paid for time working out what they are going to make. Your trusty sketchbook will have you prepared for this. Kind regards, Dennis.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
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    I love 'Dolly' very much. I make mostly figurative brooches, but your standard is inspirational!

    I've been going to terrible trouble to hide my brooch findings, but it's clear from this that a strong subject beautifully rendered is all that is needed to make the brooch-catch disappear!

  10. #10
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    Thanks, Joe, but the truth is that with these frames there is nowhere to disappear the findings. However I always fuss with the height of the pin to avoid the brooch flopping forward. If you look at my album there are two more brooches with thin frames and visible findings.
    Kind regards, Dennis.
    Last edited by Dennis; 06-07-2010 at 08:44 PM.

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